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The area was inhabited for thousands of years by cultures of First Nations peoples. At the time of European contact, when Montreal was founded, the Mohawk Nation or Kanienkaha, one of the Five Nations of Iroquoian-speaking peoples based in upstate New York, used this territory as a hunting ground.

The Sulpician Order established a Roman Catholic mission and trading post at what became the adjacent Kanesatake. Some Mohawk made this a new base; they were granted a nine-mile square portion of land by the French king in 1716 as he wanted to move them off the island of Montreal. The Sulpician Order was granted a narrow strip next to theirs. The Sulpicians arranged a change to the grant and deed without informing the Mohawk, gaining legal title to the land. The Mohawk protested, beginning in the late 18th century, but were never successful in regaining control of most of what they thought of as their land.

The Sulpicians later sold much of this land, which was developed privately by European Canadians as the city of Oka. It surrounds the Kanesatake reserve (indicated by the irregular white area on the map to the right).

In 1990, the small community gained international attention in what became known as the Oka Crisis. It had approved development of a private golf course, to add nine holes and nearby luxury housing. The Mohawk of Kanesatake opposed this, as they considered the land sacred. Standing tombstones marked their ancestors' graves. Several years before they had lost a land claim court case in which they tried to regain control of this historic land, which had been taken by deception by the French Sulpician Order in the 18th century and later sold to Europeans. The claim was rejected by the courts on technical grounds.

The Mohawk of Kanesatake barricaded a dirt road leading to the land. During a 78-day confrontation, the Quebec Police Force (and later national army units) opposed to members of the Mohawk nation of the adjacent community of Kanesatake. The latter were joined by other Mohawk and First Nations and Native American tribes. In addition, for several weeks, Mohawk at Kahnawake blockaded the approach to the Mercier Bridge, a route that ran through their land. Negotiations finally led to the Mohawk re-opening the road. Numerous people were arrested. The development proceeded.